Ash Wednesday (1973)

Barbara gets secret plastic surgery in Switzerland in an attempt to save her marriage to Mark, but he doesn't seem interested in meeting her. She checks in to a ski resort to wait for Mark,... See full summary »

Director:

Larry Peerce

Writer:

Jean-Claude Tramont

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Fonda, Helmut Berger

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Barbara Sawyer
Henry Fonda	...	Mark Sawyer
Helmut Berger	...	Erich
Keith Baxter	...	David
Maurice Teynac	...	Doctor Lambert
Margaret Blye	...	Kate Sawyer
Monique van Vooren	...	German Woman
Henning Schlüter	...	Bridge Player
Dino Mele	...	Mario
Kathy Van Lypps	...	Mandy
Dina Sassoli	...	Nurse Ilse
Carlo Puri	...	Paolo
Andrea Esterhazy	...	Comte d'Arnoud
Jill Pratt	...	Simone
Irina Wassilchikoff	...	Silvano del Campo

Storyline

Barbara gets secret plastic surgery in Switzerland in an attempt to save her marriage to Mark, but he doesn't seem interested in meeting her. She checks in to a ski resort to wait for Mark, and begins getting attention from young men. Her daughter tries to warn her that even though she has had the surgery it might be too late for her marriage, but she clings to the hope that Mark will come back once he sees her new look. Meanwhile, she must decide whether or not have an affair with a young man she's met.

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Plot Keywords:

surgery | plastic surgery | blood | scars | buttocks | 

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Taglines:

Barbara Sawyer and her beauticians.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Rivalin

Filming Locations:

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Veneto, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sagittarius Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Elizabeth Taylor's husband at time, Richard Burton, thought the film was horrible and damaging to his wife's career, according to letters released for auction in 2004. "I sit here vulgarised by the idea that my wife is doing; violently against my 'taste'; a f - - - lousy nothing bloody film," he wrote in a 1973 letter to two employees. He continued "[Taylor's] singular acceptance of this film is because she wants to remain a famous film star. What the stupid (occasionally) maniac doesn't realise is that she is already immortalised (as a film person) forever."

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Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978)

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Soundtracks

"How Can I Tell Her"
Written by Jay Livingston (as Livingston) and Ray Evans (as Evans)

User Reviews

Liz, Liz, Liz

Apparently, Elizabeth Taylor hated being called "Liz" but that didn't stop Mike Todd from naming his plane "The Lucky Liz", the plane that crashed and killed him. After his death Elizabeth leased a home in Tucson a few blocks from where I lived but she never stayed there the crowds were so bad. A girl I was dating happened to see Elizabeth at her girlfriend's home in Tucson and said she was more beautiful than you could imagine. The girlfriend's parents were Loews - the people who owned MGM and Elizabeth hid out at their home until she was able to leave Tucson. The house Elizabeth rented was owned by a customer of my dad's company, a TV sales and service concern, and it was quite posh but nothing compared to what Elizabeth was used to. Years later when I was working in the industry I would meet Elizabeth and her husband, Richard Burton, in Mexico. It was quite an experience. Rumor has it that Burton did not want Elizabeth to make this film but I am glad she did. In one scene after another she never looked so beautiful and that's really what this film is about - looking at the most beautiful woman in the world.